Men's Pinnacle Trek Gore-Tex Hiking Boots vs Men Hiking shoes Garmont 9.81 Onyx GTX: which is safer?

Men Hiking shoes Garmont 9.81 Onyx GTX is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Garmont Men's Pinnacle Trek Gore-Tex Hiking Boots

Garmont

Men's Pinnacle Trek Gore-Tex Hiking Boots

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

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Hazard flags

⚑ 5

Material

Gore-Tex membrane, leather, synthetic uppers

Confidence

55%

LikelyTeflon-type coating/PFAS in Gore-Tex membrane

PossibleLeather tanning residues and heavy metals

PossibleSynthetic dye migration (azo dyes, antimony in polyester)

Our pick

Men Hiking shoes Garmont 9.81 Onyx GTX

Garmont

Men Hiking shoes Garmont 9.81 Onyx GTX

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

textile upper with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane

Confidence

45%

PossibleAzo dyes and synthetic colorants

PossibleFormaldehyde in fabric finishing resins

PossibleGore-Tex membrane degradation and particle shedding

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag PTFE/PFAS in Gore-Tex membrane, Leather tanning residues and heavy metals, Synthetic dye migration (azo dyes, antimony in polyester) and Formaldehyde-based adhesives in lamination on the Garmont and not on the Garmont.
  • We flag Azo dyes and synthetic colorants, Formaldehyde in fabric finishing resins and Gore-Tex membrane degradation and particle shedding on the Garmont and not on the Garmont.
  • The Garmont is Gore-Tex membrane, leather, synthetic uppers where the Garmont is textile upper with Gore-Tex waterproof membrane, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

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